Sioux Falls police to go smaller in gun caliber

Switch to 9 mm reflects desire for accuracy over power

Jul. 29, 2013

Doug Barthel

Written by

Sioux Falls police officers soon will carry guns that have a little less power, contrary to a trend in South Dakota law enforcement.

During the next year, the police department will trade in its .40-caliber Glocks for 9mm pistols, Police Chief Doug Barthel said, exchanging power for greater accuracy and the ability to carry more bullets.

The change is the outcome of an in-house study that showed the 9mm was more accurate, yet comparable to the 40-caliber on impact and expansion, Barthel said. The cost was similar and, with 17 rounds in the magazine, the 9mm holds two more bullets than the 40-caliber, he said.

'Accuracy ... most important factor'

“When it comes to determining what kind of guns we carry, accuracy is by far the most important factor,” Barthel said. “We’d much rather have them put more rounds on target than have something with a little bigger caliber but not necessarily hit on time.

“It’s safer for the public in an unlikely shooting event.”

The guns will be bought with a federal grant received last week. The $67,000 will be shared by the local police department and sheriff’s office, with $43,488 going to Barthel’s unit.

The department gets the grant every year but hasn’t bought new guns in 17 years.

In recent years, Barthel has bought computer software that helps with crime reports, mobile computers for motorcycles and a ticketing system that allows officers to scan driver’s licenses and print traffic citations.

The department plans to buy 250 of the 9mm guns at $409 apiece, but the department will get about $250 for every .40-caliber gun traded in. Gun magazines also will be exchanged.

The grant will cover the entire cost after the gun and magazine exchange, Barthel said. Last year, the department started talking gun upgrades and dedicated a team to learn more about the 9mm.

“With the grant coming along, the timing is perfect,” he said. “We will be able to do this entire transition without any cost to the city.”

The two guns are similar in size and built the same way, and officers shouldn’t have much of a transition, Barthel said.

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“The nice thing about it is the guns are virtually the same,” he said. “We won’t need new holsters. We don’t need to relearn how to dismantle the gun. We will be cleaning the same gun, other than the caliber difference.”

Few South Dakota agencies use 9mm

The switch away from the .40-caliber weapon goes against the grain in South Dakota.

A recent attorney general’s study of 61 South Dakota police departments revealed that only three issued 9mm pistols and 43 use .40-caliber pistols. The same survey showed 12 departments using 9mm pistol and 42 using .40-caliber in 2001.

Chuck Heck of the Big Sioux Rifle and Pistol Club was surprised at the move because a 9mm doesn’t have as much power as a .40-caliber.

“It seems to me that they’re going against the trend,” Heck said. “A 9mm doesn’t really have that much stopping power. Granted, there are more shots, but they’re just not as effective.”

Other agencies see no need to change

Highway Patrol Capt. Kevin Karley, district commander in Rapid City, said the .40-caliber has been consistent in the field, and the patrol sees no need to change. The gun has been used by the Highway Patrol since 1996.

Rapid City police spokeswoman Tarah Heupel said the same.

Minnehaha County switched from the 9mm to .40-caliber in 2008, and Capt. Paul Niedringhaus said officers are happy with the results.

“We’re very satisfied with (the .40-caliber pistol) capabilities and the same with the officer’s ability to handle the gun,” he said. But “everyone’s situation is different. You could talk to 10 different agencies and might get 10 different opinions.”

In Centerville, a police department of three, two officers use 9mm pistols. But unlike larger departments, officers in Centerville can carry a pistol of their choosing because they are expected to buy the gun and keep it as their own, Chief Brion Kimball said. He carries a .45-caliber pistol, he said.

“Our officers carry whatever is most comfortable with them,” he said. “A 9mm is cheaper in the long run because the ammo is cheaper. Plus, it’s a safer round; it’s not going to go through someone’s wall.”